The Badass Character Spotlight: #2

The Badass Character Spotlight: #2

For the second installment of our Badass Character Spotlight, we’re going to shine the light on a character who is almost criminally charming, badass, and unapologetically weird. And that character would be…

Jillian Holtzmann.

There was a lot of talk about the recent female-led Ghostbusters remake. But what we need to talk about even more is how badass Holtzmann is. ‘Mmkay?

The type of character who seems almost made for GIFs, Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon) is like an endless array of perfect facial expressions and behavior that is in equal parts dorky and badass. She is both who we all are (a nerd, a weirdo, and sometimes a bit of a maniac), and who we want to be (tough, brilliant, brave, and suave). She’s one of those characters with enviable swagger, someone who exudes a certain sexual charisma in that distinctive way that only iconic characters like Dr. Frank N. Further and Captain Jack Sparrow can match—the type of sexual charisma that crosses all gender orientations and appeals to literally everyone. You better believe that Holtzmann had even straight girls crushing hard.

And on that topic, another thing that made Holtzmann so memorable and distinct, and cemented her utter badassery, was her unabashed (but unspoken) queerness, the rare sort that actually felt authentic, and was, for once, not created just to cater to the male gaze.

Plus, there’s the gun-licking. That’s definitely badass.

Regardless of how you may’ve felt about the movie overall, you’ve gotta admit that Jillian Holtzmann made it worth the price of admission. And for that, we demand a spin-off proudly induct her into Defiant Scribe’s Badass Hall of Fame.

ABOUT US

Defiant Scribe is an online lit mag created for the 21st century. We offer an updated take on the literary magazine with contemporary content: writing that takes risks, explores heavy or taboo topics, is diverse and inclusive, and always defiant, always unique.